PRICES SLASHED!

It's Bank Holiday Saturday here in UK and Trev and I went off on our monthly trip to stock up with meat from Harker's Farm Shop - it just happens to be a Bank Holiday which, of course, made everything busier. It didn't matter really, as we had no deadlines so we joined the very long queue to be served, happy just to chat and observe the things on sale.Now, although I say this is a farm shop there are no 'gifts' - farm related or otherwise, no 'traditional' biscuits on sale, no toys, books, greetings cards, cane or wicker items - in fact, do you know - no, I'll tell you. They only have meat that they rear themselves, which goes to a local abbattoir, and then comes back onto the farm to be butchered. They have local cheeses, eggs, bread, cakes and preserves. They don't have a cafe - or tea room but if you are desperate you can make a drink from the machine in the corner - bur I don't as there aren't any toilets. What they do have, is friendly, knowledgeable service by around 8-10 butchers, every kind of cut of meat you could want and quite a lot that you didn't know anything about. They add the purchases up by hand written into an old-fashioned invoice book, but do give a nod to the modern world by accepting cards. Oh, and they are on Twitter - and have a website. Please, please don't go and search out Blackberry Farm, Nr Nottingham or the queue will get even longer!

This evening, we are off to have supper with our very dear friends, Nick & Susan. They have recently been off on a six week road trip around USA so we are very keen to hear how they got on.

I am going to practice what I preach at my workshops - I am taking a small basket of home-made goodies, knowing that they will appreciate that more than a bottle of wine and flowers from the supermarket. I have made some Lemon Curd this afternoon and put it in a pretty glass dish that I bought at our local charity shop. I collect these for this purpose - so much nicer than a jar and the recipient gets to keep the dish as well! There is a bottle of my home-made, legendary Limoncello, some flowers from the garden and six new-laid eggs from The Chix in our new 'Cluckingham Palace' boxes - which I know Susan will love. Just a little effort and not much cost makes a truly special gift.